EntertainmentThe actress who was almost cut from Friends due to lack of charismaThe cast of the series has always been considered one of its greatest assets, despite stumbling with casting throughout the seasonstoday at 3pm

Like it or not Friends, There is no denying that part of the series’ success is the charisma of its cast. Jennifer Aniston (as Rachel Green), Courteney Cox (Monica Geller), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing) and David Schwimmer (Ross Geller) were the six protagonists of the production, which was on air between 1994 and 2004 and promoted a true revolution on TV.

However, one actress in particular almost ruined everything. At least in the opinion of James Burrows, filmmaker who directed several episodes of the program. In his autobiography, Directed by James Burrows (via Rolling Stone USA), the professional pointed out that Helen Baxendale was almost dismissed after her casting as Emily, girlfriend and later fiancée of Ross Geller in the plot.

The problem of Baxendale it was precisely the restricted chemistry with Schwimmer, in the view of Burrows — which was shared by other behind-the-scenes professionals Friends. The actress lacked humor.

“She was nice, but not particularly funny. Schwimmer I had no one to interact with. It was like clapping with one hand.”

According to the director, there is a particularity in the romantic comedy genre — regardless of whether it is a film or series — that needs to be preserved. Otherwise, the public rejects it.

“In sitcoms and any type of romantic comedy, humor is just as important as chemistry. We discovered that any new girlfriend ross It needed to be as funny as Rachel.”

Another actress for Emily

Still according James Burrows, There was a possibility of finding another actress to play Emily. Although this was considered, bureaucratic issues prevented it from going ahead: there were very tight filming deadlines.

“You need someone to make you laugh. Sometimes you start an arc and it doesn’t work out, so you have to get rid of that person. The opposite is also true. If there is chemistry, the writers will need to work to figure out a way to keep the actor.”

Helen Baxendale and Friends

In all, Helen Baxendale interpreted Emily in 14 episodes of Friends, distributed in seasons four and five. The relationship with ross came to an end after he got his “beloved” name wrong at the altar: he called her Rachel, which, after all, was his passion.

On a personal level, the moment to leave Emily it was great for Baxendale. In a 2012 interview with dailymail, the actress revealed that she was pregnant at the time. She gave herself time to complete her work and take care of her personal life.

“I got a little glimpse of what fame offers — and I decided there was nothing there. Nothing important. Some people can handle fame well. But it wasn’t for me. Making Friends was a lot of fun, but I was only there so they could make some funny jokes about England [como a própria atriz, sua personagem foi retratada como britânica]. And I was also pregnant, but in the United States you have to be thin to appear on TV.”